


The Queen and The Winking Wizard

by childofginevra



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Developing Relationship, F/F, F/M, Renaissance Faires, Romance, alternate universe- renaissance faire, every couple but NaLu is gonna be background but i'll probably have more pairings idk, i'll probably add more tags?, not gonna lie there's some British history shit in here, so probably prepare yourself for that, the lucy/loke is acted at the faire btw so its rlly incidental
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-26
Updated: 2017-07-27
Packaged: 2018-08-11 02:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7873165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/childofginevra/pseuds/childofginevra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucy Heartfilia has worked at Magnolia Renaissance Festival for several years, but this is her first year as an actor. It's what she's been wanting for years, but when she meets a new, very cute travelling performer, she starts to wish she hadn't switched her gig.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter The First

**Author's Note:**

> There are not enough Ren Faire AUs so here you go! Sorry this first chapter is so short!

Lucy Heartfilia walked through the big wooden gates of the Magnolia Renaissance festival with only the smallest amount of trepidation. It was her first official day working as an actor for the Faire. She hiked up her backpack on her shoulder and walked in the direction of wardrobe, a road she had walked many times since she started Faire as a booth wench five years ago. But finally, she was an actress, playing the Queen of England no less. She shivered in excitement and looked around. The Faire grounds were mostly still this early in the morning. Some vendors were starting to set up, and there were a few food stalls open for breakfast. Lucy saw some of her fellow actors, and a few of the “villagers” (people who worked at the booths) lining up at a crepe stand for coffee. She sighed. _I could sure use some coffee right now. If only I hadn’t overslept…._

“LU!” a familiar voice called. Lucy turned to see her best friend Levy running towards her dressed as a fairy. She looked adorable in her yellow dress, floral crown, and small yellow and brown wings. “Lu, you’re late! Gray needs you in wardrobe like YESTERDAY! We can’t really start the Faire without our Royal Court fully assembled!” Levy linked her arm through Lucy’s and walked her to the small building that housed the wardrobe department. Inside stood Gray Fullbuster, the Faire’s wardrobe master.

 

“You’re late, Heartfilia,” he said, almost irritably but with a twinkle in his eye. He ushered her inside, past several rows of pipe clothing racks. Early in the morning the racks would have been dripping with the elegant garb of the early 1500s, but now they mostly had people's every day clothes hanging in the places costumes had been. There were still costume pieces scattered around on some of the racks, mostly garb from past years of Faire that weren't usable for this year's characters. Gray had walked over to where Lucy's intricate costume was still hanging, tapping his floor. Lucy rolled her eyes at him.

 

“And you’re shirtless again, Fullbuster,” Lucy replied with a scoff. “For someone who dresses people for a living you sure have trouble STAYING dressed.” Levy snorted. Gray looked down in mild surprise but waved it off and pulled out her costume, beautiful red gown with a gold trim, and shoved it into her arms. He also handed her a girdle strung with beads and stockings. This was what Lucy had been most excited for as an actress. The accurate and beautiful costumes. Booth workers mainly wore tight bodices or corsets over tunic tops and several layers of skirts, adorning their heads with a wreath of flowers. The same things patrons could buy in most of the clothing stalls around the shire. In fact, they all bought their clothes from those stalls the week before their first Faire, usually.

 

“If you need help with the kirtle let me know,” Gray said as he handed the garment to Lucy. She took it to the back and changed. When she came out, Gray handed her a French hood that matched. She fixed it upon her head and then looked herself over in the mirror near the dressing area. She had been so excited for the costume, but jeez it was a lot. She was going to be sweating more in this than she did in her booth garb. She sighed.

 

“Jesus, a kirtle, a girdle, a gown, a partlet, a French Hood… The Tudors sure wore a lot of clothes…” Lucy complained as she looked at her discarded mini skirt and tank top lying on the floor by her feet. Gray shrugged and Levy giggled. “Well you can laugh Levy, you get to wear ren faire-style clothing instead of a historically accurate gown.” Still, Lucy loved the gown. It was beautiful, she could almost imagine ruling over actual England in it instead of a medium-sized Renaissance Faire in New England.

 

“Alright Catherine Howard, get out of here,” Gray said, breaking her out of her musings and pushing her out the door. Lucy groaned and decided to see if there was time to grab a coffee before she had to meet up with the rest of the court to do the opening parade through the shire. She was meandering through the grounds towards the scent of coffee when something caught her eye.

 

“SALAMANDER THE FIRE WIZARD” declared the large print on a cloth by a nearby stage. A painted image of a pink-haired man in a vest eating fire and winking accompanied the text. Lucy stared at the image for a minute. A fire eater was performing at the faire this year, huh? _I wish I could see the show_ , Lucy thought a little bitterly. In past years when she had been a booth wench, she had been able to catch shows on slow days and sometimes on her lunch breaks. This year, being a performer, she had a number of shows to be in herself. _And besides, Catherine Howard can’t be seen just chilling in the audience of one of the entertainer’s shows_ , she thought, giggling. She took one last glance at the image of the winking pink haired “wizard” and hurried toward the gates, now a bit too late for coffee.


	2. Chapter the Second

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy heads backstage, and we get to see some more familiar faces!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yikes it's been almost a year since I updated! Shit! Sorry you guys, it's been a mad busy year and I totally forgot about this fic... But I promise more regular updates! This story is GOING PLACES

Lucy trotted anxiously toward the Front Gate. She had been trying out for the Court for 3 of her 5 years at Faire, and she really didn't want Marakov, the casting director, to regret giving her such a big role. This year, the Faire's story line was revolving around Catherine Howard's secret affair with Thomas Culpepper, so her role was pretty meaty. Lucy finally arrived at the front gate, and immediately saw Laxus Dreyar, aka King Henry VIII of England, staring her down. She gulped. Laxus was... intimidating. If she was being honest with herself, the prospect of hiding an affair from him was scary, even though it was all fiction.

"Almost late on your first day as Queen, huh?" he sneered down at Lucy as he took her arm to line up for parade. "Already proving to be an airheaded and unfit Queen. Too bad this storyline doesn't involve your beheading." He snickered, and his friends Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed joined him in laughter. Lucy's face turned red and she took several deep breaths to try to dull the heat in her cheeks. She was about to present a fantasy to all the Faire's paying customers, and it wouldn't do to bring her Lucy feelings into her Catherine act. As she steadied herself, a hand tapped her on the shoulder.

"Just ignore Our Lord Laxus over there," said Loke, her Thomas Culpepper, with his usual charming smile. "You're not the first nor will you be the last person to run a little late." She smiled back. At least her Faire "lover" was kind. Suddenly she heard the trumpets signaling the court's entrance. Putting on her most dazzling smile, she walked out with Laxus beside her and the court trailing her to greet her public. A large crowd had gathered by the front gate, sitting on a grassy hill next to it and on rocks on the side of the dusty path that made up the Faire's "main road". When the court got to a bend in the road slightly past the gate, the court stopped so Laxus could make his opening address.

"Fair gentles, and ladies, of the good shire Magnolia, we are pleased with the welcome we have thus far received. As you know, the Queen and I..." Lucy smiled brightly as she zoned out Laxus's speech and let her eyes wander the crowd. There was a good mix of people in everyday clothes like jeans and those in corsets and tights with swords strapped to their hips (peace-tied, of course). There were even a few people in accurate period costume, and what looked like two women and a man in 16th century versions of costumes from a popular nerdy movie series. As her eyes continued to roam the crowd, she noticed a shock of pink hair. It was the new fire-eater! He had a strangely blue cat draped around his shoulders, and was holding a chalkboard stating  _See The Amazing Salamander!  Fairy Tail Stage at 12, 2, and 5!_  There were a few children around him who had noticed the cat, and he was bending down to let them pet it.  _Why on Earth does a fire eating act have a cat?_ Lucy wondered to herself. 

Laxus finally stopped his opening speech, and led the court off towards the jousting field, behind which was the backstage area. As they walked through the Shire, they stopped several times to take pictures with children. A bunch of little girls came up to tell her she was beautiful and she told them they were all pretty little princesses and sent them off with big smiles. She loved how fantasy could touch people's hearts. Eventually the court got to the jousting field and grabbed some water. A few of them went off to wander the grounds or do scenes around the Faire, but Lucy had a little while longer before her first big scene. She would have loved to wander the Faire grounds and seen her friends, but she would just have to wait 8 hours till closing to catch up with her booth buddies. She sat on a bench in the shade and looked around at who was left behind stage. Laxus, of course, was standing by the horses and being a bit of a menace for the benefit of Bickslow and Evergreen. Freed was out doing rounds as Robert Radcliffe. There were some of the jousters, Erza Scarlett, Gajeel Redfox, and Elfman Strauss, staring down Laxus to no avail. Then Lucy noticed her friends Wendy Marvel and Juvia Lockser standing in a corner with Lisanna Strauss. Lucy walked over with a wave.

"Lisanna, Wendy, shouldn't you be at your booth?" Lucy said jovially. Lisanna worked at the baby dragon booth owned by Wendy's mother, Grandeeny. Technically Wendy was allowed to wander Faire since she didn't REALLY work, but Lisanna did. It was surprising to see her on break this early in the day.

"I'm meant to be grabbing water bottles," Lisanna said, nodding to the coolers over in the shade, "But honestly I don't want to leave until Laxus stops tormenting the horses." Lucy nodded. Lisanna was a sweetheart who loved animals, which is what made her perfect for the baby dragons but also would have made her a perfect horse handler. Lucy didn't understand why Lisanna didn't try to get hired on with the horse people, and she said as much out loud. "Oh no," Lisanna shook her head, "What would the dragons do without me? The other girls at the booth don't really know how to take care of them!" She pet the little green anole sitting on her shoulder, basking in the sun as she spoke. Lucy smiled.

"What about you, Wendy?" Lucy said, grinning at the little girl. "Bored of wandering so early on the first day?" Wendy shook her head.

"She's just biding her time until that new fire-eater's show," said Juvia, checking her bottles. Juvia was playing the town perfumer this year after last year's perfumer got fired for creeping out some guests. "He's supposed to be really good! I wish you were boothing this year, Luce, you could come with us." Lucy frowned.

"I wish I could see it too. Maybe Wendy can record it for me!" Wendy was the only one allowed to be seen with a phone since she wasn't technically a Faire employee. The girls all laughed.

"Lucy, it's time to go for our scene," Evergreen's voice suddenly came from behind Lucy. She sneered at the other girls. "Ah, the dragon girls and the peasant. Move along, the nobility needs to get to work." She turned towards the exit, dragging Lucy with her. Out of the corner of her eye, Lucy saw Juvia stick out her tongue at Evergreen's departing back, and she stifled a giggle. It was going to be a long Faire season.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like there was a lot of who's-who in this chapter so maybe it was a little more boring? I just really wanted to get some of that out of the way. Next chapter will be meatier, because there will be some story-within-the-story stuff (like the faire story line), some romantic tension, and some more of Laxus being an asshole. Because I love Laxus being an asshole.


	3. Chapter the Third

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confrontation, some romance, and some incidental Lucy/Loke (well that's what you get when you're acting!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has some very incidental Lucy/Loke (although honestly it's Catherine Howard/Thomas Culpepper, because why not combine two couples I like in one fanfic! Story within a story!) but a ton of NaLu. Enjoy! (Two chapters in one day, yikes @ me!)

As they passed the gate, Evergreen switched from dragging Lucy to walking arm in arm with her. They were followed by two other women in court dress and two guards. The Queen's retinue walked north from the jousting field towards the Tenrou Bridge. They drew a crowd as they walked, patrons following the Queen and her ladies, looking for a show. When they got to the bridge, the guards stood at one end as Lucy and Evergreen walked to the middle. Lucy noticed a fallen, semi-smushed rose on the bridge, and picked it up just to start sighing and plucking its petals forlornly. It was a good prop and she made a mental note to start paying a rose seller to leave her a rose hidden on the bridge before every performance. Evergreen looked at Lucy, tired.

"Your Grace, can I not convince you to give up on seeing Culpepper while we are here? It's far too dangerous! There are eyes everywhere!" Evergreen stage whispered as she walked toward a forlorn Lucy. Lucy glared at her with scorn.

"My dear Lady Rochford, I MUST see him. I cannot live a minute without him! I know the dangers, I tell myself every day I need to let go of my love, but I find myself unable to cast him from my heart." Tears in her eyes, Lucy walked over and grasped Evergreen's hands. "Please... Jane... you know what he means to me..."

"I see," Evergreen said, tender yet resigned. She patted Lucy's hand. "In that case, I suppose my news is good. I have already made the arrangements. You are to meet here, today, after the joust. The king will be preoccupied, and I shall help you slip away." Lucy's eyes lit up. 

"Oh, Lady Rochford, thank you!" She looked like she was about to throw herself on the Viscountess in a hug, but decided not to at the last moment. There were some chuckles from the crowd at that. Lucy patted her skirts and took a deep breath to regain her composure. She beamed up at Evergreen. "My dear Viscountess, did I not hear tell the entire trip of the beauty of this little Shire? Come, let us walk, and perhaps find a place to hold court and greet our hosts." She hooked her arm through Evergreen's and walked toward the crowd at the front of the bridge. Her retinue followed, and they walked eastward towards the Queen's court. As she walked towards the court she noticed the fire-eater walking beside her. He must have been watching the whole Catherine-Jane exchange. She wondered what he thought of her. She wondered why she cared. He smiled a big goofy grin at her when he caught her looking at him and walked a little closer.

"Your Highness," he said very seriously, and attempted a bow, which was not a bright thing to do while walking. Lucy stifled a giggle as he did his best to turn his stumble int some sort of dance move. He scratched the back of his head, smiling abashedly. Lucy found it oddly charming. She nodded regally at him.

"Good morrow, sir."

"Sir Natsu," he said by way of introduction. Lucy raised an eyebrow at him, smirking in a probably not very Queen-like fashion.

"Ah, art thou a knight, then? Thine grace befits the rank, I am sure." Natsu blushed a little and smiled.

"Ah, Your Grace, no not a knight. A performer, traveling to the Shire as you are. I eat fire and do other such tricks."

"I see. Well, as long as you don't trip while you attempt such a daring act, I'm sure the act will be a great success." Natsu laughed, and Evergreen coughed loudly. Lucy rolled her eyes a little unprofessionally.

"Well, Natsu, I shall see thee anon. Good luck with the feats of derring do." She gave him a last dazzling smile before turning back to Evergreen, just in time to reach the little set of canopies set up to make a court for the Queen to receive patrons. Lucy took her seat on the throne, with Evergreen beside her as her lady-in-waiting, and greeted guests for the next 20 minutes. She kept thinking of the fire-eater's goofy grin. She hoped she would see him again on the way back to the joust, but no such luck. She made her way to the royal balcony and sat next to Laxus as Macao Conbolt, playing Magnolia's mayor, introduced the joust. Erza would be the gold knight, the one to receive the Queen's favor (a handkerchief) at every joust. Elfman would be the green knight, Gajeel the red knight, and Jellal Fernandes the booed black knight. They would all receive favors from children sitting in their sections. Lucy tied her handkerchief to Erza's javelin and blew her a little kiss as Laxus scowled. She sat down and patted his hand, and he smiled dotingly at her. She felt the warmth of that smile and wondered at what a good actor Laxus was. There was always gossip that he got the King role every year because his father was the casting director, but in truth he was really tremendous at playing a complicated man like Henry the Eighth.

The joust ended with Gajeel winning today, and Erza challenging him to a second duel-slash-swordfight to be commenced at 5pm on the joust field. It was all very dramatic and the patrons loved it. Now it was time for Lucy to meet Loke on the bridge while Laxus knighted a line of children. Lucy and Evergreen set off, arm in arm, towards the bridge where a decent sized crowd had already formed. It seemed a lot of people wanted to watch the young Queen have a tryst with a handsome courtier under the King's nose. When Lucy saw Loke she burst into a run and broke from Evergreen. Evergreen frowned as she watched Lucy run off.

"Thomas!" Lucy cried as she ran into his arms and embraced him passionately. He grabbed her shoulders and lightly pushed her away, and she looked up at him lovingly.

"Your Grace," he said politely.

"Thomas," Lucy pouted, "why 'Your Grace'? Please, call me Catherine. I don't want to be that man's wife when I'm in your arms. I don't care that it's dangerous."

"My sweet little fool," Loke sighed, and then he kissed her. A tender yet passionate kiss that would have probably left Lucy reeling if they hadn't been practicing this scene for a month. Then, suddenly, he stopped it and turned away from her. She heard sighs of disappointment from some women, and men, in the audience, but she focused on the task at hand. Gently she put a hand on Loke's shoulder.

"Thomas," she said, pleading, "Why do you turn from me? We meet in secret at Hampton Court often, and you never turn from me there."

"Your Grace-" she winced "-Catherine...." He turned back to her, longing and frustration etched on his face, "We have to be even more careful here. Magnolia and it's people are an unknown, and you are married to a man who has beheaded one wife already for her betrayal. Don't you think he would do the same to you, should he know about us?"

"Not if I can bear him a son! And I know I can do that, even if my cousin couldn't. Although," she said a little mischievously, as though the thought had just occurred to her, and she put both hands on Loke's chest so she could look up at him through her lashes, "I could bear yours instead and he would be none the wiser. What do you say, Thomas?" Loke looked aghast and pushed her off of him.

"It's treasonous to suggest such a thing!"

"Our love is treason by nature. What's one more charge?" Loke sighed, walked back to her, cupped her chin in his hands and kissed her tenderly.

"My sweet girl, I'm not sure I could deny you anything. But come, let's not talk more of this. You must go back to your husband, and I to my duties." He kissed her once more and then walked away sadly. Lucy waved and walked back to Evergreen, downtrodden. The audience clapped. And there, once more, was the fire eater. He slipped beside her again as she walked, much to Lucy's delight and Evergreen's consternation.

"Your Grace," he said, mockingly affronted, "I cannot believe you would carry on an affair with a lowly, no rank courtier like Thomas Culpepper!"

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," Lucy responded, wide eyed. "Culpepper is a friend and nothing more!"

"Oh no you don't, Queeny," Natsu said, wagging a finger. "I saw you kiss him just then on the bridge." He dropped his voice so Evergreen couldn't hear him "And it looked like a good kiss too, Cat." Lucy turned crimson. What did he mean by that? He smiled "Ah, I've scandalized the good Queen! That's an accomplishment, considering." He winked.

"You sir, are no gentleman," she said jokingly. Natsu laughed, grabbed the hand that wasn't linked to Evergreen's, brought it to his mouth, and kissed it. This was NOT something Lucy had practiced, and she might have lost her footing if not for Evergreen. The cheeky fire eater dropped her hand and started to walk away. He took ten steps before stopping and looking back.

"I never said I was, Cat."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something that's sort of relevant: "Sweet little fool" is something Thomas Culpepper actually called Catherine Howard in a letter. Also important: I don't believe Catherine Howard was trying to use Thomas for a baby, which is something that has been speculated, I actually think the little fool loved him and didn't quite understand the danger she was putting herself in. But I wanted to nod to that here. And give the faire plotline something fun to play with. The faire plotline which is gonna circle back into the NaLu plotline, and you will all be pleased and like "Oh I see now!"  
> Natsu doesn't know Lucy's actual name yet, which I realized when I was writing their post-Culpepper interaction,  
> I tried to write the Catherine/Jane/Culpepper bridge bits a tad more dramatically than the rest of the fic, I hope that's coming through?  
> Next chapter: Maybe the faire day will end? I am trying to get to that chapter and it keeps eluding me because the perfect chapter endings keep presenting themselves. Also definitely Cana next chapter. Hope you're enjoying it so far! I welcome constructive criticism.


End file.
